


We'll meet again

by nawrry



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M, Narry - Freeform, One Night Stand, super fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-19
Updated: 2013-12-19
Packaged: 2018-01-05 02:07:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1088337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nawrry/pseuds/nawrry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"So we meet again," Harry grins. He immediately hopes this interaction goes better than the first one, but suddenly he's noticing the guarded look in Niall's eyes and the way his cheeks are flushed, either from running or from seeing him he's not sure, and every sign in the universe seems to be telling Harry that the two boys are meant to keep running into each other. And sure, Harry doesn't quite know what that means, but knows he wants to find out.</p><p>So Harry and Niall keep running into each other after their one night stand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We'll meet again

**Author's Note:**

> Randomly got this idea as I was laying in bed this morning, so I had to write it. Hope you enjoy :)

Harry stirs as he begins to regain his consciousness, attempts to stretch out his limbs but discovers he can't, his legs are tangled with another pair and his arm is thrown around the waist of another person. His eyes fly open and he blinks out the tiredness as he takes in the site of the boy next to him, unable to remember a thing from the night before. The last time he came home with a boy was with Zayn, who was all dark hair and skin and tattoos and breath that tasted faintly like cigarrettes, exactly what Harry wanted until he was thrown out the next morning without so much as a mention of the night before. Since then Harry promised himself he wouldn't be caught sleeping over at any other one night stand, but yet here he is again, naked and tangled up with another in a room that isn't his.

But this time the boy next to him isn't dark haired and dark skinned, with a quick peek under the sheet Harry doesn't find any tattoos, he doesn't taste cigarrettes. Rather the boy is blonde, bleached blonde Harry determines by the brown patches on the sides of his head, and small, tucked under Harry's arm in a way that feels so comfortable and right that Harry almost starts to panic, because he still can't remember a thing about last night. Did he feel anything for this boy? What did he tell him? Did he say those same sweet promises that Zayn made to him almost a month ago? This boy looks innocent, not like the kind of person Harry would normally go home with. He's soft and warm and Harry knows if he stays much longer it will only hurt more when he's asked to leave, so with his head still pounding he slips away from the boy, locating his clothes next to the bed. Harry does a quick glance around the rest of the room, noticing a guitar propped up in one corner, a stack of textbooks on the small desk and an Irish flag hanging on the wall, but nothing else that belongs to him or gives him any clues as to who this boy is.

Harry's walk home doesn't take long. After a few blocks of wondering where in the hell he is, he finds the main street that leads him back to his apartment. Stumbling into the flat he shares with Louis, he finds his roommate and his new boyfriend Liam snuggled together on the couch, a movie playing on the TV. 

"Well, well, well," Louis blurts out as soon as Harry is in the door. "Look who finally decided to come home." Harry glares back at him, not in the mood to deal with Louis' theatrics. 

"Did you and blondie have fun last night?" Louis chirps. "Because at the bar you certainly looked like you were." 

"Shut up, Lou," Harry growls, trodding off towards his bedroom, already feeling the need for a nap.

"Leave him be," he hears Liam tell Louis. "He's probably had a long night."

Even though he knew it before, Harry decides that he definitely likes Liam now.

*****

"Angela?" Harry calls out into the coffee shop, holding the cup of coffee he just made out to the woman who steps forward. She doesn't spare him a glance as she takes the coffee, still barking important sounding things into her cell phone just like she was when she first stepped in the door.

"Hope you have a nice day as well," Harry mumbles after her, turning back to the counter where Louis and Liam stand. He glances back at the book he was reading until he feels Louis' stare on him.

"What do you want?" He asks without lifting his eyes from the page he's on.

"Did you ever hear anything from blondie?" Louis asks. Harry lifts his eyes.

"His name isn't blondie," he mutters.

Louis rolls his eyes. "Then what is it, exactly?"

"I can't remember," Harry murmurs, looking back down. "Why are you asking? That happened almost a week ago, time to let it go."

"No reason," Louis shrugs casually. "But you do have a customer waiting."

Harry stifles the groan he wants to let out, making coffee isn't exactly his dream job, but the noise gets caught in his throat when he turns around finds the blonde-haired boy waiting at the counter. He can feel himself staring at the boy in shock, his green eyes wide as he takes in the things he couldn't remember the other day, the bright, clear blue eyes and pink lips the boy has, the pink tint in his pale cheeks, the one that grows darker as the boy seems to undergo a similar realization.

"Hi- um, would you like to order?" Harry stammers. He can practically hear Louis snickering behind him.

"Uh, yeah, I-," the boy pauses, catches his breath. "Just a large coffee with two sugars, please." Harry nods and grabs a cup from the stack next to him. Everything seems to be running smoothly, he'll just get the boy's order and then he'll leave and everything will be the way it should be.

All until Harry grabs the marker to write the boy's name and comes up without one.

"Sorry, um, your name please?" Harry asks. He sees a flash of hurt appear in the boy's blue eyes, one that leaves Harry feeling guilty enough to want to crawl under the counter right then and never come out.

"It's Niall," the boy mutters. Suddenly he doesn't look happy to be there, like seeing Harry was a nice surprise. He looks disinterested, glancing around the rest of the coffee shop instead of Harry until his drink is ready. He leaves his money on the counter and gives Harry a quiet "thanks" as he takes the cup and leaves. Harry watches as the boy walks out of the coffee shop and down the street, his stomach sinking to a depth he didn't know existed. He walks slowly back to Louis and Liam.

"Nice going, Styles," Louis grunts. "He seemed kind of into you until you did the whole 'couldn't remember his name thing'. That was charming."

"Lou, seriously, it's none of your business," Harry snaps. Louis is unfazed.

"I know, but I want you to be happy, and the other night when you where with blondie- er, Niall- you were happy."

"Wish I could remember it," Harry murmurs, ending the matter by turning back to his book. He attempts to regain his place in the story, but he can't get into more than a few words before the only thing he can see is the pair of blue eyes that stared back into his just a few minutes ago.

*****

It's been a few days since Harry saw Niall last, and still he can't shake the memory of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy with the rich accent and the name that seems to buzz on Harry's lips when he says it to himself. Glimpses of the night they shared begin to come back to him, the way Harry's insides seemed to melt whenever Niall's eyes met his, how soft and sweet Niall's lips were, little things that remind Harry of just how he was able to let his guard down that night.

Harry feels the now familiar chill as he thinks about Niall's touch on his skin and does his best to shake it off and continue his run through the park. Jogging has become his escape, away from all of the stress and regret he seems to be plagued with lately, when he runs he feels nothing but his heart pounding and his feet hitting the pavement, and he sort of likes that. The sun is just beginning to warm the air as the day stretches into the late morning, signs of life all around Harry as he runs past children playing and couples sharing walks. It's not until he notices a ball skidding across the grass towards him that his concentration is broken, his foot sticking out involuntarily to stop the ball before it rolls any further. He glances around for a moment to track down the owner when he spots him, Niall jogging over the hill towards him. Niall stops jogging when he notices Harry holding the ball, he walks slowly towards the curly-haired boy, his hands deep in the pocket of his hoodie. Harry notices how skinny Niall's legs look in the basketball shorts he's wearing, which strikes him as unbearably cute.

"So we meet again," Harry grins. He immediately hopes this interaction goes better than the first one, but suddenly he's noticing the guarded look in Niall's eyes and the way his cheeks are flushed, either from running or from seeing him he's not sure, and every sign in the universe seems to be telling Harry that the two boys are meant to keep running into each other. And sure, Harry doesn't quite know what that means, but knows he wants to find out.

"I see that," Niall murmurs, slightly out of breath. Harry passes the ball back and forth from one hand to the other, not quite willing to let it go yet. Niall watches the ball travel in the air, his eyes only straying to Harry's once in a lingering glance that leaves both boys further speechless.

"So um, I'm sorry about the other day when I, you know, couldn't remember your name," Harry stammers. "I'm pretty forgetful sometimes, really." Niall shrugs.

"It's whatever," Niall insists. "I shouldn't have expected you to, not with how fast you took off in the morning." Niall's words hit Harry hard in the chest, he wasn't expecting someone so small and cute to deliver such a blow.

"I'm really sorry," Harry says again, his voice small. "I know I don't know you, but you deserve better." Niall's eyes meet Harry's, his expression softening. Harry tries to give him his most sincere, I-probably-really-like-you grin, but he's suddenly shaky under the weight of Niall's gaze.

"I bet my friends are wondering where I went to," Niall murmurs a moment later. Harry's heart sinks down an inch in his chest.

"Yeah, right," Harry nods, tossing the ball back to Niall. "I'll see you around, right? With the way these last few days have gone we're bound to meet again?" He hears Niall chuckle a bit, his pink lips turning up into a smirk.

"Yeah, I'm sure we will," he replies, giving Harry one last glance before jogging away. Harry resumes his run after Niall has disappeared from sight, already dreaming of the next time they'll see one another.

*****

What Harry doesn't expect is that that time is coming much sooner than he dreamt, that just later that day as Harry is standing in line at his favorite Chinese takeout restaurant he would hear that deep Irish accent again, saying his name just like he imagined it.

"Hello again, Harry," Niall says from behind him. Harry whips around, pushing his curls back as they fall into his eyes. Niall is smirking back at him, looking rather proud of himself.

"Niall," Harry gasps in surprise, his heart about to burst and his face flushing with just one look at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting food, what does it look like?" Niall snorts playfully. Harry's cheeks burn brighter.

"Right, I just wasn't expecting to see you," Harry tries to explain.

"You said we would run into each other again," Niall reminds him. Harry chuckles, trying to contain himself as Niall giggles as well. A moment later his name is called and he steps forward to retrieve his order, waiting afterward for Niall to get his. The boys walk to the door together, their hands somewhat purposely brushing as they both reach for the door handle at the same time. Harry feels his heart speed up as he realizes another goodbye is coming.

"Hey, Niall?" He asks, clearing his throat as the shorter boy turns towards him, his profile lit by the light inside the restaurant.

"Yeah?"

"Do you- this is going to sound stupid but- do you believe in fate?" Harry asks. He sucks in a breath as he catches Niall smirk a bit.

"Maybe, why do you ask?" Niall asks coyly. Harry scratches the back of his neck and tries to ignore the way Niall feels so close to him.

"It's just, everytime I see you I feel like there's a reason. Like we keep running into each other because one night wasn't enough, you know?" Niall remains wide-eyed, smiling back at him.

"And I still feel like a jerk for ditching you that morning, and I want to take you out to at least make up for it. And because I'd like to go on a date with you." Harry exhales the breath he was holding. He's pretty sure that's the longest speech he's made to anyone.

"I'd like that too," Niall grins a moment later. Even through the shadows Harry can see Niall's eyes light up, the way they seem to shine just for him. "When are we going on this date?"

Harry bites his lip, debating for a moment. "Well, we both have food, and the park is only a couple of blocks away. Up for a picnic?"

"Perfect," Niall nods.

*****

Niall's laugh is like nothing Harry has ever heard before, loud and musical and echoed through the park and honestly he's not sure how he's made it so long without hearing it, because Niall seems to laugh at everything, and Harry sort of really likes that.

Their bowls of food have been left empty and abandoned off to the side as the boys move closer to each other on the bench they're sharing. Niall has his legs tucked underneath him, his knees brushing against Harry's thigh, their shoulders pressing shamlessly into the other's. Harry's never felt so comfortable being this close to someone he's really just met, but Niall is so warm and soft and carefree that Harry can't help but feel the same way. The boys seem to balance each other out perfectly, Niall is studying music, so he's creative and open in ways that Harry, whose major is business, isn't always capable of. Niall laughs at Harry's bad jokes and flirtatious attempts, and in turn Harry laughs along, so not long into the date both boys are just a giggly mess. Harry notices the way Niall listens though, how focused those blue eyes are as Harry explains his aspirations after college and his family back home. Harry finds himself imagining long days spent cuddling with Niall, just listening to the other talk.

The hour has turned late and Harry's gotten five texts from Louis demanding his location when he finally surges forward and kisses the blonde, right in the middle of Niall's sentence, which honestly Harry wasn't paying too much attention to because he was too distracted by the pink of Niall's lips and how they move to form words. It only takes Niall a moment to kiss back eagerly, his hands wrapping around Harry's wrists as Harry cups Niall's face. Their kiss feels drunken, almost like the first one they ever shared, but this time there's no alcohol, there's nothing to make Harry forget this feeling of holding Niall close, how he only feels his heart pounding and his feet on the ground, and he sort of loves that. Harry pulls away when he feels Niall smiling against his lips, both boys breathing heavily and left speechless.

"We should have done this whole date thing first," Niall chuckles, his nose still brushing against Harry's. 

Harry smirks. "But what about the whole fate thing? Maybe we were meant to sleep with each other first."

"Then I guess we'll have to prove that theory," Niall murmurs as their lips meet again.

*****

Harry senses deja vu as he wakes up with his legs tangled with another's, his arm draped around a skinny waist, light snores in his ear. This time it's different when he opens his eyes though, he's not panicked or confused or hungover, it's not some stranger that he's tangled up with. It's Niall, sweet, beautiful, seriously perfect Niall who's sleeping soundly next to him. Harry presses his lips to Niall's forehead, to the spot between his eyes, the tip of his nose, his chin, and finally his lips, grinning when Niall grunts and begins to stir. He likes that he and Niall decided to wait a couple of weeks before they slept together again, Harry knows Niall well enough now to know that the blonde likes to cuddle in the morning, he knows that they trust each other enough that neither of them will go slipping off before the other has woken up. Niall's blue eyes are foggy and unfocused as they finally open, his lips grinning sleepily as Harry nudges his nose against Niall's.

"Morning," Niall murmurs. "Remember who I am?"

Harry chuckles in spite of himself, resisting the urge to give Niall a good shove because the blonde really looks too cute and vulnerable for that right now.  "I might need a reminder," he grins, leaning forward to catch Niall's lips against his. The kiss is slow and lingering and full of the promises the two boys will one day make to each other, and Harry can't think of a single reason to ever leave this bed.


End file.
